Description

This is from my recent trip to the Chiricahua mountains in southeastern Arizona with a friend. A link to full version is added below.

The Black-tailed Rattlesnake is one of the most beautiful species of Arizona’s 17 species of rattlesnakes. With most species inhabiting the desert, it is the most common species in the forest habitat. Hiking in the mountains, it is hard to avoid them this time of the year.

You’d rarely see it first, but when you hear a cicada-like, short and gentle rattle, you’d know you almost stepped on one. Unlike diamondbacks – blacktails are fairly ‘tame’. They’ll get used to you in a short while, then they may sit quietly and pose for you.

This was the second one we saw in a small area within 20 minutes. After leaving the first snake, we bended to take pictures of a lizard. Then we heard the rattle just… under my friend's butt . I let him freak out while I followed the snake that crawled and coiled under a bush, where it seemed cozy and happy.

I took this picture with the Tamron Macro lens to render as much detail as possible. I could do without the dry leaf in the front. I kept asking my friend to remove it, but he wouldn’t listen. .

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Black-tailed Rattlesnake
Herb Martyr Camping ground, Chiricahuas, AZ.

9/5/08 13:33
Camera: Pentax K110D
Focal length: 90mm
FNumber: 8.0
Exposure time: 1/180
Exposure bias: -3/3
ISO speed: 200